


The Bodyguard

by TheSilentBull



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/F, Petramos, the bodyguard - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-16 03:41:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentBull/pseuds/TheSilentBull
Summary: After Anezka’s death, Petra starts receiving threats. Rafael convinces her to hire a bodyguard in order to keep her and the twins safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU mashup/remix of Jane the Virgin and the 1992 movie The Bodyguard, starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. I wish there were more Petramos stories to read, so I figured I’d try to do my part by adding to the collection. The goal is to update regularly, starting with the first two chapters. Any feedback is appreciated!

“You’ll need to get either screens or bars on all of these windows. I’ll also need you to give me a copy of your schedule each day and it’s probably best if you don’t go out alone,” Jane Ramos said as she continued looking around Petra Solano’s living space. “It might be best to install a few more cameras outside, as well. I know a reputable company who can do the work quickly and efficiently.”

Petra rolled her eyes as she stared at the woman, this bodyguard that Rafael insisted she needed. She was tall with long, dark hair and big, brown eyes. If Petra wasn’t so annoyed by all of the orders she had been barking out since she arrived, she might even describe her as beautiful. She wore a tailored black suit with a silky gray camisole beneath, and black boots with a stylish yet practical heel.

“I’m not going to start living like a prisoner in my own home,” Petra huffed, arms folded across her chest. “I’m not even sure this is necessary.”

“Then why am I here?” Jane questioned. She could immediately tell that Petra Solano was the type of woman who was used to giving orders rather than receiving any.

“My children’s father thought it would be a good idea to hire someone due to the threats I’ve received,” Petra explained with a shrug. 

Jane watched as the woman folded her arms across her chest a little tighter and turned away. It wasn’t much, but Jane was good at her job and she knew how to read people. Petra was clearly guarded and uncomfortable.

“Also…someone approached my girls at school,” Petra revealed, turning back to face the bodyguard. 

Jane’s surprise was written all over her face. “If someone was bold enough to approach your children, then I’d say having some sort of protection is pretty necessary,” she explained. “It’ll be hard for me to keep track of you and your children alone, but I have a couple of people I can bring in to help.”

Petra studied the woman for a moment before allowing a smirk to spread. “I get it now. You see my expensive hotel. You’ve been in my home and decided that I’ll need all of this work done and that you can bring in more people on this,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Let’s be clear, I love my children more than anything, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them, but what I won’t do is allow someone to come in here and try to swindle me for their own gain.”

Jane raised her eyebrows as she listened to this woman berate her. “Now, if you’re done…let me be clear,” she began. “I may not look like your average bodyguard, but I’ve been doing this for a while now and I take my job very seriously. But hey,” she said with a shrug as she turned to pick up her bag from the entrance table, “feel free to find someone else for the job. If they’re any good, they’ll tell you the exact same things I did and they’ll probably charge you a hell of a lot more.”

Petra could only watch as the woman left, the door closing firmly behind her. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her phone from the coffee table and made her way down to the front desk.

///

A couple of days later, Petra sat in her office going over supply orders. It was on the tip of her tongue to call out for Krishna before she remembered the woman had left early for a doctor’s appointment. She stood with a sigh and made her way to Krishna’s desk to retrieve the mail for the day. The majority of the stack was comprised of bills, magazines and solicitations, but there was one large envelope that looked out of place. 

After placing the rest of the stack back onto her assistant’s desk, Petra made her way into to her own office and tore open the envelope. Her heart nearly stopped as she dumped the contents onto her desk. Black and white images of her and her children slid across the surface. A red permanent marker had been used to draw X’s over her eyes and frowning faces over Anna and Ellie.

///

“Thank you for coming back,” Petra said in a soft voice as she looked over at Jane Ramos. They were seated on the couch in her office. “You were right,” she admitted. “If someone was bold enough to approach my girls in broad daylight, then I can’t take any chances.”

“You accused me of trying to swindle you,” Jane said, her expression even. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to accept another meeting with the arrogant woman, but she could tell that something had changed.

“And I am so sorry for that,” Petra said sincerely. “Look, I know this is going to sound like an excuse, but ever since the accident with my sister, I haven’t had anyone on my side. I had my ex in my corner, but, I went and ruined that,” Petra said.

Jane watched intently as the hotelier composed herself. She had done her research on Petra Solano and the incident with her twin sister. From what she could tell, it was a pretty straightforward case and there was no reason to think it was anything other than an accident.

“Anyway, my girls are everything to me and I would do anything for them…no matter the cost,” Petra said as she brushed away a tear.

It was the most emotion Jane had seen from the woman since she met her. “So, why the change of heart?” she asked softly. 

Petra got up to grab the envelope from her desk and handed it to Jane. “I received this yesterday afternoon.” 

Jane’s brow furrowed as she look over the images. “Have you called the police?” she asked, continuing to study the photos.

“No. I wasn’t really sure what to do, so I had Krishna call you first thing this morning,” Petra explained.

“We’ll need to go down to the police station and file a report,” Jane said, before carefully placing the photos back in the envelope and standing. “They’ll need to check for prints or any trace evidence that could potentially tell us who’s been doing this.”

“Does this mean you’re accepting the job?” Petra asked, her bright blue eyes hopeful.

Jane gave her a small smile and offered her hand. “Yes, it does. And I’ll do everything in my power to keep you and your girls are safe,” she assured.

Petra smiled before reaching out to take a hold of the soft hand outstretched before her.


	2. Chapter 2

Things were quiet over the next few days and Petra felt much better now that a police report had been filed. Jane had also convinced her to let her daughters work with a sketch artist to try and find whoever it was that approached them. The woman’s presence made her realize just how lonely she had been throughout the whole ordeal with her sister and she was glad she would finally have someone in her corner while dealing with these threats. As she watched Jane work over the last few days, it was more than apparent that the woman knew what she was doing and for the first time in a long time, Petra felt at ease.

Ellie and Anna had met the two bodyguards, Lena and Brian, who would be watching over them and, after a series of questions that were incredibly impressive and thorough for two five year olds, they accepted their new guardians with ease. Petra had been hesitant to tell them too much about what was going on at first, but she had always been straightforward and honest with her girls and she decided now would be no different. Besides, it was important for them to know what was going on in case they noticed anything strange.

“Okay,” Jane said as she entered Petra’s office and closed the door behind her. “Krishna has been briefed with the pertinent information and now all that’s left is code names.”

Petra raised an eyebrow as Jane took a seat across from her. “Code names?”

“My people and I will mainly use them when we communicate with each other,” Jane explained. “The twins will be Heckle & Jeckle and for you…I was thinking Peter.”

“Absolutely not,” Petra dismissed as she went back to her paperwork.

“What’s the big deal?” Jane asked as she crossed her legs.

“The big deal is it’s not my name,” Petra said.

Jane smirked. “That’s why it’s called a _code_ name.”

Petra squinted her eyes at the woman. “Fine. If you call me Peter then I’ll call you JR,” she said challengingly. “Besides, it’ll be easier to distinguish you from Jane Villanueva.”

Jane rolled her eyes as she stood from her chair and went to check the work that had been done on the windows in Petra’s office. She knew all about the Villanueva’s. Petra had made her a list of all of the people she was closest to and also anyone who might want to see harm come to her.

Petra watched JR quietly for a moment before speaking. “Are you sure there isn’t a better option besides those ugly bars?” she questioned. “Something with a little more curb appeal?”

“Well, they match the building,” JR shrugged as she looked out at the beautiful beach in the distance. “They’re certainly harder to get through than a screen would be. If whoever’s been doing this tries something else then at least we can be sure that they aren’t getting in this way,” she explained.

Grabbing her phone, Petra gave a resigned sigh. “I have a meeting in fifteen minutes,” she said as she rose from her chair.

“Jacob is already waiting downstairs,” JR said, referring to Petra’s driver.

Petra supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised; it seemed like JR had pretty much commandeered most of her staff anyway. “Krishna!”

JR smiled at the unladylike yell that came from her client and watched as the mousy assistant seemed to immediately appear at the door.

“Yes, Ms. Solano?”

“I’m leaving for my meeting with one of the Marbella investors and it might run over. I’ll need you to cancel my two-thirty and reschedule it for tomorrow,” she ordered before gathering her things and leaving the office.

JR followed.

///

“I despise that man,” Petra growled later that afternoon as she exited the office building with JR trailing a very short distance behind her. Paul Stevens was a smug bastard and the way he always leered at her whenever they had a meeting disgusted her.

JR opened and closed the car door for Petra before getting into the passenger seat. “Want me to break his legs?”

Petra snapped her head up and saw the crooked smile on JR’s face.

“Kidding,” the bodyguard said as she watched for any suspicious activity through the side view mirror. She had heard every filthy innuendo that came out of the man’s mouth and had been very close to intervening. “He could stand to be knocked down a peg or two, but still, you handled yourself well.”

Petra gave a tiny smile as she looked out the window, pleased with the compliment. It was a small thing, but it was nice to be around someone who understood. Owning and running a hotel was still a very male dominated business and she didn’t have any friends who would understand what she had to deal with behind the scenes. Paul was a sexist bastard, but he certainly wasn’t the only one. She could only imagine that JR had experienced similar obstacles being a female bodyguard.

“Someone’s tailing us,” JR said, suddenly serious. She looked back at Petra and saw the panic in her eyes. “Put your seat belt on,” she instructed. “Jacob, I want you to speed up a little bit and then we’re going to make a left at the next intersection. Remember what I taught you?” she asked, looking at the young man.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he focused on the road and prepared for the maneuvers they had practiced.

“Do you know anyone who drives a late model, olive green sedan?” JR asked Petra as she looked in the side view mirror again.

Petra held on tight to the handle above the door as the vehicle quickly lurched. “God, no! …and how do you know they’re actually following us?” Petra questioned.

“Well, judging by the fact that they just ran a red light and cut off two cars to make that turn behind us, I’d say that’s a pretty good indication that they’re following us,” JR said.

Jacob continued back to the Marbella. Whoever was in the car wasn’t bold enough to follow them to the main entrance drop off, but JR saw the car slowly circling the main parking lot.

“Stay here!” she yelled before quickly jumping out and running toward the car. She tried to get a look at the driver, but the windows were tinted nearly black and there wasn't a license plate . As she got closer, the car sped away and back onto the street.

///

The next day, Petra was in her office and getting more agitated by the second as she listened to the sounds of workmen outside her door. Because of yesterday’s incident, JR felt like more security was needed, which meant more work and more noise.

After reading the same paragraph for the third time, Petra slammed her pen down and yanked open her office door. “Is all of this really necessary?” she asked loudly to no one in particular.

Krishna looked up from her desk worried.

JR looked over from where she had been talking to one of the workers and made her way over to Petra before guiding her back into her office. “Listen, I know this all must be frustrating for you,” she began.

“That’s an understatement,” Petra huffed. “I want my life back!”

“I understand, but in the meantime, we need to do everything we can to catch this person,” JR said.

Petra paced in front her desk, her arms folded across her chest. “Have you even heard back from the police?” she asked. JR shook her head. “How have we not heard anything yet? It’s been four days!”

“Petra, calm down,” JR said.

“You calm down! Someone is threatening me and my children!”

JR grabbed Petra’s hands and pulled her over to the sofa. “I’m here,” she said as she looked directly into scared blue eyes, “and I’m not going anywhere until we catch this bastard. The important thing is that Anna and Ellie are safe and so are you,” she said trying to reassure the woman.

Petra took a deep breath and nodded slowly, slightly embarrassed at her outburst.

“Listen, the girls will be back from their father’s this evening,” JR said, “so why don’t you plan something special with them. It might help to take your mind off of everything.”

Petra sighed. “You’re right. Maybe taking the girls to their favorite French restaurant will help.”

JR smiled. “Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a quiet night in.”

Petra rolled her eyes.

///

“Why do you carry a gun?” Anna asked as she took a bite of her roasted chicken.

JR looked up from her plate.

Petra had taken her advice from earlier and prepared a nice meal at home for her daughters. JR had plans of going to the guest room Petra had set up for her and taking a few moments to rest, but Petra had insisted she join them for dinner. After realizing that it had been way too long since she had a proper, home cooked meal, she decided to take her up on the offer and was pleasantly surprised by Petra’s culinary skills. The hotelier was quickly proving herself to be a multifaceted woman.

“It’s for my job,” she answered before taking a sip of her water.

“Have you ever been shot?” Ellie asked innocently.

Petra decided to chime in. “Girls, enough questions. Finish up so we can watch a movie.”

JR was glad for the interruption. She wasn’t much of a kid person and Petra’s girls were kind of intense, not unlike their mother.

“Listen, I need to go check in with Brian and Lena,” JR said as she rose from the table. Her colleagues were staying down the hall. JR had been sure to get a list of everyone who was staying on the twelfth floor, which included one of Miami’s top plastic surgeons and an actress who was guest starring on one of Rogelio de la Vega’s telenovelas. Judging by the rack of elaborate costumes she saw being delivered to the woman’s room yesterday, JR wondered what people saw in the outlandish plot-lines. There were a few other people staying on the floor who weren’t famous, but clearly wealthy enough to afford one of the Marbella’s most expensive suites.

“Can you please remind Lena that she promised to tell us about the horse she had when she was little,” Anna requested.

“And Brian told me he’d show me pictures of his daughter,” Ellie said.

JR couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll tell them,” she said before heading to the door, laughing to herself when she heard the girls asking their mother if they could get a horse.

///

“Anything on the sketch?” JR asked as Brian opened the door for her.

“Nothing,” Lena said from where she sat on the sofa with a laptop open. JR took a seat next to her. “I’ve been looking into the staff. Aside from the fact that none of them like her, everyone is clean.”

“They call her the ice queen,” Brian said from where he stood in the kitchen.

“Amongst other things,” Lena said under her breath.

Brian chuckled. “If what the staff says is true, it must be tough being glued to her hip on a daily basis.”

Maybe it was because she was her client and responsible for her safety now, but JR found herself feeling a bit protective of Petra. “Actually, she’s not that bad. Some people just can’t handle assertive women. Believe me; I speak from experience as a lawyer…and a bodyguard,” she said with a raised eyebrow before standing. “Keep me posted.”

///

By the time JR returned, the girls had bathed and were dressed in their pajamas. Petra had also changed into more comfortable clothing and they were relaxed on the couch with a movie playing quietly.

“Is everything alright?” JR asked.

“Fine,” Petra said with a soft smile.   

“JR, are you going to watch the movie with us?” Ellie asked. The girls had quickly picked up on the nickname their mother used for her bodyguard.

“Please?” Anna added.

JR really needed to take a few moments to herself while she could, but Anna had said the magic word.

“Okay, but only for a few minutes,” she said as they made room for her on the couch. She looked across at Petra who gave her an appreciative smile.

///

Not even an hour had passed before the girls had fallen asleep. Petra turned off the tv and moved to pick up Anna. “I’d better get them to bed,” she said quietly.

JR carefully picked up Ellie, who had fallen asleep against her and followed Petra to the girls’ bedroom. After tucking her in, JR checked the windows and made her way to the door. She watched for a moment as Petra kissed them each goodnight before heading back to the main room to make sure everything was secure.

Petra found her a few moments later.

“Thank you, JR” she said softly. “For everything.”

JR smiled. “No problem…Pete.”

Petra returned her smile. “Did you just give my code name a nickname?”

JR shrugged and continued to smirk as she checked the main entrance.

“Aren’t you supposed to stand guard outside my door all night or something?” Petra asked as she busied herself with straightening the sofa.

JR looked at her confused.

“What?” Petra asked. “I’ve seen _The Bodyguard_. Kevin Costner’s character never slept.”

“Well, don’t believe everything you see in the movies,” JR said. “My ex-girlfriend was a screenwriter and they just make it seem like that for added drama.”

Petra was curious about the ex-girlfriend, but she didn’t want to pry.

“Don’t worry,” JR assured. “I’ll check on things again later and I’ve instructed hotel security to check out a few key areas in the hotel tonight just to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary.”

Petra was impressed. It was rare that she came across someone with the same thoroughness as herself. “Well, I guess we’d better get some rest before brunch at the Villanueva’s tomorrow,” she sighed. It was sure to be awkward with Rafael and Jane so upset with her.

“Let me check your room over,” JR said before leading the way.

Petra followed and watched as her bodyguard checked the windows and the balcony before locking it behind her and drawing the curtains.

“Do you really think someone would scale twelve floors just to get to me?” Petra asked.

JR shrugged. “You’d be surprised the lengths people will go to in order to get revenge. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Petra sighed. “Well, thank you again, JR…goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” JR returned softly before closing Petra’s bedroom door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, you’re a bodyguard,” Jane Villanueva said at brunch the next day.

JR would have been happy to wait in the background while Petra did the family thing, but the Villanueva’s had insisted she join them. Brian and Lena were on guard duty outside, but that didn’t stop Alba, other Jane’s grandmother, from taking food out to them. Rafael and other Jane’s mother, Xiomara, were busy working and couldn’t be there, which Petra seemed to be glad for. JR had caught bits and pieces of a conversation between Petra and other Jane when they arrived and they seemed to have come to some sort of understanding about whatever happened with Rafael’s sister.

“I am,” JR said, not bothering to elaborate as she focused on the fresh fruit on her plate.

“What’s that like?” other Jane continued. “It must be a tough field for a woman.”

“It can be pretty challenging,” JR responded. She snuck a glance at Petra to see her whispering something to her girls.

“Ever had any famous clients?” other Jane smiled.

JR glanced at Rogelio and stopped herself from sighing. “A few.” She was glad when other Jane seemed to finally take the hint.

“So, if I may ask…” Rogelio interrupted. “Should we all have bodyguards, too? I mean, especially me since I am a very famous person.” He smiled charmingly.

JR smirked. “So far, the threat has only been directed toward Petra, so I think everyone else is relatively safe,” she explained. “It never hurts to be cautious though or to be aware of your surroundings in case you see something strange.”

“Well…” It was other Jane again. “If we could just ix-nay on the threat talk-ay,” she said, trying and failing to be subtle as she gestured to her son Mateo.

“You haven’t told him?” Petra whispered across the table.

“Just the basics,” other Jane said defensively. “He’s five. He doesn’t need to know all of the details.”

“We already told him all about it,” Anna said innocently as she stabbed at a strawberry with her fork.

JR watched as other Jane’s face fell. “You did?” she asked through clenched teeth.

“He asked us about Brian and Lena at school and we told him,” Ellie said with a shrug.

Other Jane turned to Mateo. “Mr. Sweet Face, how come you didn’t tell me you knew?” she asked her son.

Mateo shrugged. “Can I get a bodyguard, too?” he asked excitedly.

“No, you cannot,” other Jane said sternly. “This isn’t a game, Mateo.”

“Jane, I was wondering if maybe I could leave the girls here for a few hours instead of dragging them all over the city while I run errands,” Petra said, changing the subject. She wanted her girls out in the open as little as possible until this mess was cleared up.

“Of course,” other Jane said smiling.

JR thought her smile seemed a little forced.

“Petra, can I talk to you for a minute?” other Jane said as she stood from her spot at the table.

JR watched as Petra followed her.

///

“I would appreciate it if you could maybe ask the twins not to talk to Mateo about this anymore,” other Jane said once they were out of ear shot.

“What’s the big deal?” Petra asked. “They’re his sisters. Naturally, he’s going to want to know about it if two people are suddenly following them around all the time.”

“I understand that, but there’s no need for Mateo to know anything more than that and the twins have a knack for being a little… _too_ honest,” other Jane said. “He is a very sensitive boy.”

Petra was getting annoyed. “Fine. I’ll just take the girls with me then,” she said as she moved past Jane.

Other Jane could practically see Petra’s walls going up. “Petra, that’s not what I meant…”

“Is everything alright?” JR asked as she made her way into the living room. Petra was clearly upset.

“Looks like the girls will be joining us after all,” Petra said stiffly as she made her way back into the dining room to collect her children.

“Come on! You know the girls are always welcome here!” other Jane called to Petra’s retreating form. So much for their tentative truce.

With one last look at other Jane, JR followed Petra into the dining room.

///

“So, what did you think of the Villanueva’s?” Petra asked later that evening when they were finally back home. She had poured herself a glass of white wine and was resting on the sofa.

“They were nice,” JR said from where she sat on the sofa next to Petra. She was focused on the laptop in front of her as she did a little more research on the list of people who might want to see harm come to Petra.

“Oh, come on,” Petra said smiling. She knew JR must have had more to say about it than that.

Looking away from the computer screen, JR sighed. “I didn’t like other Jane. She just…tries too hard and she’s a little judge-y.”

“A little?” Petra laughed. It was no secret that she and other Jane had very different parenting styles and lifestyles in general, but today she wasn’t in the mood to take any criticism on how she chose to raise her girls.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job with the twins,” JR complimented. “They’re like…miniature adults.” JR didn’t even particularly like kids, but the more time she spent with Anna and Ellie, the more they grew on her. They weren’t like most children.

“Thank you,” Petra said with a soft smile. “I decided very early on that I would always try to be honest with my children. Apparently, some people find honesty offensive,” she said rolling her eyes. She refused to stifle their growth for anyone else’s sake. She didn’t even want to think about the time the girls let it slip to Mateo that the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real.

“Well, in this case, I think you made the right call. The twins are smart and even though it can be scary to think about someone wanting to hurt your children,” JR explained gently, “keeping them in the dark isn’t always the best idea.” She had seen enough cases where children were unnecessarily put in harm’s way because no one wanted to take the time to explain to them the gravity of the situation.

The computer beeped just then and JR turned her attention back to the screen.

“What is it?” Petra asked, moving to get a closer look.

“According to the Czech authorities, Milos is still in prison,” JR said as she pointed at the screen.

“Thank god,” Petra sighed in relief. “It’s always nice to cross an international arms dealer off the list.”

JR looked at Petra incredulously before chuckling.

“What?” Petra said.

JR shook her head. “You lead a very interesting life, Petra Solano.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it one day,” JR said as she closed the laptop, “but for now, I’d better go check in with Brian and Lena. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

Petra watched her leave the room with a soft smile on her face.

///

“Milos isn’t our guy,” JR said as she slowly paced in front of her team. “He’s still in prison.”

Brian sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. “Damn. I thought for sure it would be him.”

“I still think it’s the mother,” Lena said. “Maybe she hired someone to do the dirty work.”

“Right,” Brian said. “I doubt people would forget seeing an old woman with an eye patch and a hook for a hand. She wouldn’t be able to pull all of this off alone.”

“Okay. Let’s just keep checking people off the list as quickly as possible,” JR said. “If we can at least narrow it down to who it _isn’t_ then we stand a better chance of finding out who it _is_.”

After saying goodnight to her team, JR was making her way back to Petra’s suite when she noticed something on the floor in the hallway. As she moved closer, she could see that it was a small tuft of bright blue material of some sort and assuming it was from one of the costumes she saw being delivered the actress a few days ago, she kept walking.

///

Later that night, Petra heard a soft knock on her bedroom door and opened it to find her bodyguard leaning against the door frame.

“JR…is everything okay?” Petra asked. It was nearly one in the morning. The bodyguard smiled at her and stepped further into the room before closing the door behind her. Petra was a little shocked, but stayed quiet.

“Good news. We caught the guy who’s been stalking you,” JR said.

“Really?” Petra asked, thinking that she would finally be able to get her life back to normal.

JR nodded. “The detectives barely even said anything before the guy broke and decided to come clean.”

“That’s great!” Petra smiled. Her expression faltered a little when JR stepped into her personal space, deep brown eyes sliding down to the silky robe Petra wore. She could only watch as long fingers pulled the tie loose.

“And now…” the bodyguard said, her voice smoky as she pushed the robe from Petra’s shoulders, “I’m gonna make _you_ come…”

///

Petra’s eyes shot open and she sat up quickly in bed. Her heart was racing as she replayed the dream she just had and she couldn’t stop the smile that came to her lips at the thought of JR’s hands on her body.


	4. Chapter 4

Two more weeks passed and everything had been quiet. The police had found tiny yellow fibers on some of the photos that had been sent to Petra, but it wasn’t much of a lead. The investigation was still open, but it was quickly going cold.

Work was incredibly busy for Petra. Plans for a Marbella expansion were underway in West Palm Beach and it required a lot of meetings. Several of which required her to travel outside the hotel. There had been no more incidents with anyone following them, but JR never let her guard down.

One day, after yet another meeting with the sleaze ball Paul Stevens, Petra was in a particularly bad mood. She was short with JR on the ride back to the Marbella and she had nearly bitten Krishna’s head off when she arrived back to her office to find that her lunch hadn’t been ordered yet.

Making her way into her office, Petra sat at her desk and sighed, glad to finally have a moment to herself, but it didn’t last long. There was a soft knock at the door and Petra held her breath, ready to lay into whoever was on the other side, but before she could even ask who it was, the door opened to reveal JR. The bodyguard closed the door behind her and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Petra’s desk.

“Look, I know you have a lot going on right now, but you need to relax,” she said.

Petra glared at her. “Well that’s easy for you to say isn’t it?” she began. “You’re not being pulled in a thousand different directions and you don’t have someone threatening you and your children.”

JR leaned forward to catch Petra’s eye. “Tell me what you need,” she said gently. “Tell me what I can do to help you unwind.”

Petra’s mind immediately began to replay the sex dream she had about JR and she froze for a moment at the thought of the other woman’s lips and tongue against her neck and her hands cupping her face as she kissed her deeply. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and she broke eye contact to mindlessly rifle through a stack of files on her desk.

JR sighed, oblivious to the x-rated scenes running through her client’s head. “Petra, if you don’t take some time for yourself, you’re going to burn out,” she said.

Petra took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I’m tired of not being able to leave the hotel except for meetings. How is it that I feel suffocated in a twelve story building?” she asked before continuing. “Obviously, I can’t stay out in public for too long or that will put me even more at risk…” she reasoned aloud. “It’s not as if I can go on a date or anything. It would be a little awkward with my bodyguard hovering…”

“What if I were to take you out?”

Petra looked up at JR with wide eyes. “What?”

JR shrugged and sat back in her chair. “You’re right. It would be awkward for you to go on a date, but I could take you out. Maybe someplace quiet and out of the way where you could finally unwind a little,” she said.

Petra tried to play it cool even though her heart was racing. “Sure,” she said with an easy smile. “Maybe that will help.”

///

“Petra!”

The hotelier rolled her eyes before turning around to face other Jane. She was waiting downstairs at the front desk with Anna and Ellie before her date with JR. The twins were helping out with check-ins until Rafael’s shift was over. Brian and Lena were watching nearby.

“Jane,” Petra acknowledged indifferently before turning her attention to her phone. They hadn’t really spoken since brunch a few weeks ago.

“Wow, you look cute,” other Jane said smiling as she gave Petra a once over. “Going someplace?”

JR had told Petra to dress casually so she wore a pair of white shorts with a short-sleeve, light pink blouse and strappy gold heels to match. Her hair, makeup and accessories were perfect as usual. “It’s what I always wear,” Petra said dismissively before looking at her phone once again.

“I know, but something about you seems…different,” other Jane said, her finger resting against her chin as she tried to figure it out.

Petra would have scoffed, but instead she was focused on the text JR had just sent her.

**Jane Ramos:** _I’ll be down for our date in just a few minutes._

Petra giggled and felt a little heat in her cheeks. She knew it wasn’t a real date, but she couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach at the thought.

“Did you just giggle?” other Jane asked, looking surprised.

“No,” Petra said immediately, the smile falling from her face. “I do not giggle.”

“You did! And you’re blushing,” other Jane said, a wide grin spreading over her face. “Who was that?”

“No one,” Petra said, growing tired of other Jane’s intrusive questions.

“Mommy, we’re leaving with daddy now!” Anna called from near the front desk.

Petra was grateful for the interruption and turned to see Rafael holding the girls’ hands with Brian and Lena not far behind. Bending down to give them a kiss, she bid them a good night just as JR came strolling toward her from the elevators.

“Ready?” she asked with a smile.

Petra thought Jane looked good in black jeans and a sleeveless white top. Her dark hair was gently curled and falling over her shoulders. “It’s so hot out. Are you sure you’ll be comfortable in jeans?” she asked. The nights in Miami could be thick.

JR shrugged. “I like the humidity. Besides, it’ll be cold in the theater,” she smiled, giving a hint about their date as they made their way to the car parked at the front entrance. She would be their driver for tonight.

Petra smiled when JR opened the door for her even though she had done it a hundred times by now.

///

“How many times have you seen that movie?” Petra asked as they strolled down the sidewalk away from the small theater. It was eighties retro night. The area wasn’t one that Petra was very familiar with, but it was still nice and there was a calmness about it, much different than the hustle and bustle of Miami.

“Oh, at least thirty…maybe forty,” JR said, smiling at the surprised look on Petra’s face. “I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid.”

Petra smiled as she tried to imagine what a young Jane Ramos was like. “Well, as it turns out, I happen to love _Dirty Dancing,_ too,” she said as they continued on.

“Really?” JR asked. “You’d strike me as more of a _9 to 5_ type.”

“What?” Petra laughed, remembering the movie. “I wasn’t always so jaded by the world. I used to dream of romance and finding someone to fall in love with when I was young.”

JR only smiled as they continued walking.

///

“So, have you always been a bodyguard?” Petra asked. They had walked a few blocks to a small Chinese restaurant.

“No, actually,” JR said as she used her chopsticks to push her food around. “I used to be a lawyer.”

Petra was surprised. “Really? You went from being lawyer to a bodyguard?” she asked, genuinely curious. She wasn’t knocking JR’s current line of work, but it seemed like a strange transition.

JR sighed. It wasn’t a topic she talked about a lot. “I was disbarred for tampering with evidence,” she said, deciding to just be honest. “This girl shot her abuser and she was going to go to jail…the system’s a joke.”

Petra watched as JR suddenly looked uncomfortable. It was the most vulnerable she had ever seen the woman since she met her. “How did you get caught?” Petra inquired gently.

“I didn’t, actually,” JR said. “I came clean to the DA on my own. I had been walking a very thin line for a long time, constantly worried that someone was going to find out. I was going a little crazy, so I told him everything and, as a result, I lost everything.” Even though she knew what would happen when she confessed, it was still devastating to deal with the consequences and she had been forced to change her life completely.

Petra reached across the table and placed her hand on top of JR’s. There would be no judgement from her. She had certainly done a number of questionable things in her life in the name of survival.

“What about you?” JR asked. She had done some research before she took the job, enough to know that Petra was born in the Czech Republic and that she had been running the Marbella for nearly five years. There was also the messy situation with her mother and sister, but there were some details that could only be learned by asking.

Petra felt the urge to tell JR everything. There had been very few times in her life where she felt someone actually took a genuine interest in her and now was one of them. She thought about her life in Prague and playing the violin on the streets to earn money to take care of her mother, everything that happened with Milos. Ultimately, she decided to keep it simple.

“What you see is pretty much it,” she said with a small shrug. “My mother and I emigrated from the Czech Republic and, eventually, I came to run the Marbella.”

“What was your life like over there?” JR asked. There was something about Petra that made her want to know more. She was clearly a strong person, but there was a depth to her that was only evident to anyone paying close attention.

Petra shrugged as she picked at her food. “Sometimes it was difficult. It wasn’t until years after I arrived here that I realized just how much my mother had lied to me about a lot of things. I didn’t even know I had a twin sister until about five years ago.”

“That must have been tough,” JR said softly. “Especially now with…” Anezka’s death went unspoken. It may have been an accident, but it still must have been hard, knowing that a person’s death was the result of your actions.

“It was,” Petra said softly. “But that’s in the past and I’m proud of what I’ve become. One of the very few good things I can say about my mother is that, despite her methods, she taught me to persevere.”

JR nodded. “Okay, enough of this heavy stuff. You’re supposed to be relaxing,” she smiled. “Favorite eighties movie of all time?” she asked, trying to cheer the other woman up.

Petra smiled, glad for the change of subject.

///

“I can’t believe you have this many movies,” Petra said as she looked through the collection. They had ended up back at JR’s place and Petra was pleasantly surprised. Based on the modern architecture mixed with vintage décor, being a bodyguard seemed to pay quite well.

“That’s not even the half of it.” JR said as she came back into the living room after pouring a glass of white wine for Petra and a Bayside scotch for herself. “The rest are in storage.”

Petra joined JR on the couch. “You have a lovely home,” she commented before taking a sip of her wine.

“Thanks. I like it. It’s quiet,” JR said with a shrug.

“Much different than the Marbella,” Petra said with a sigh as she relaxed into the sofa and closed her eyes. “I wish I could stay here.”

“You do?” JR asked a little confused.

Petra’s eyes popped open and she looked over at her bodyguard. “Oh…I just meant that it’s nice here. Peaceful,” she explained. “It’s so rare that I actually spend any time away from the Marbella.”

JR smiled. “Well, I’m glad I could help…with our _date_ ,” she said playfully, nudging Petra’s shoulder with her own.

Petra suddenly felt nervous and her dream played through her mind again. “This might be one of the nicest dates I’ve ever had, actually.”

“Seriously?” JR asked confused. “Rafael seems like a pretty smooth guy. He never…”

Petra shrugged. “It was nice at first…great even…but after I lost the baby and Rafael got sick…” she trailed off. Their relationship happened very quickly and although there was plenty of passion and even some genuine affection, looking back, she could see that deep, honest love had been missing from a large part of it.

JR sat her drink down when she saw the sadness in Petra’s eyes and moved a little closer. “Listen, I realize this date was meant to help you relax, but you can talk to me about anything,” she offered. “I’m a good listener. In fact, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but…Rogelio de la Vega used to be my client.”

“What?” Petra asked, turning to face JR. “How come he didn’t say anything at brunch a few weeks ago?”

“He probably didn’t recognize me. The man’s ego is out of this world,” JR smiled. “I don’t think he even looked at me once the whole time I worked for him, and I think he wanted someone to listen to him talk more than he actually needed a bodyguard.”

Petra laughed and grabbed JR’s hand. “Thank you,” she said after composing herself. “I needed a good laugh.”

“No problem, Peter,” she said softly as she placed her drink on the table before tucking a piece of hair behind Petra’s ear.

Petra watched as brown eyes drifted down to her mouth and, throwing caution to the wind, she leaned in closer to press her lips against JR’s. She pushed her tongue past full lips and moaned as JR reciprocated.

///

It wasn’t long before they moved to JR’s bedroom.

JR unbuttoned Petra’s shirt and pushed the light fabric down her shoulders and to the floor. She trailed her kisses down Petra’s neck as her fingers gripped at the woman’s waist.

“JR…” Petra whispered softly as JR’s tongue caressed a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. Petra buried her fingers in dark hair and pulled JR’s head up to kiss her again.

A few minutes later, they were both undressed and Petra rested comfortably on her back against a stack of pillows. Moaning at the feel of JR’s warm, naked body pressed against her own, they continued to trade deep, unhurried kisses. Petra couldn’t control her hips as they pushed against JR’s thigh and she ran her hands along soft, smooth brown skin and curves.

JR pulled away slightly to look down at a disheveled Petra. “Are you okay?” she asked softly as she brushed a lock of thick golden hair away from her forehead.

“God, yes,” Petra breathed, looking at JR through heavily lidded eyes.

JR smiled as she focused her attention on Petra’s breasts. She nipped at the soft flesh before taking the nipple into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue and lips. She gave each breast her full attention before slowly moving down to press wet kisses against Petra’s toned stomach. Her hand trailed even further down through soft hair and warm folds. JR moaned as her long fingers slid along the delicate flesh to lightly teased Petra’s clit before easing inside slowly.

Petra’s hips began to rock in time with the slow stroke of JR’s fingers. She wasn’t sure if she had ever felt so thoroughly worshiped during sex before. Rafael was an excellent lover, but JR was making her feel like the rest of the world didn’t even exist. Every nerve in her body was amplified and as JR continued to move down her body, she buried her fingers in silky dark hair, watching as the woman gently pushed her legs further apart to settle comfortably in between. Her head fell back against the pillows heavily as she felt the first brush of JR’s tongue.

“Oh, god…JR…” Petra moaned aloud.

JR smiled as the grip in her hair tightened. She paid close attention to the way Petra’s body responded as she tasted her and it wasn’t long before she knew what made her moan, what made her hips jump or her thighs squeeze together. As JR continued to confidently caress the sensitive flesh with fingers, lips and tongue, Petra’s moans became louder and faster before her body tensed in an orgasm.

A few moments later, Petra began to relax and she felt JR move to lie against her, nuzzling into her neck.

“I have something to confess,” Petra began softly as she stared at the ceiling, her hands splayed across JR’s back. “I’ve actually…never been with a woman before.”

JR lifted her head from where she was pressing kisses to Petra’s shoulder and smiled softly at the guilty look on her face. “I have something to confess, too,” she said. “I knew that already.”

Petra was a little embarrassed, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to touch JR. “I want to make you feel good, too,” she said softly as she ran her hands as far as she could reach along the length of JR’s body. She was so beautiful.

“Petra, its okay if…” JR was cut off by the feel of Petra’s lips pressed against hers.

Petra moved them until JR was the one propped against the pillows. She kissed her long and deep, mouths open, tongues caressing. Petra wanted to touch JR everywhere, but her hands settled on full breasts as she straddled JR’s lap. Touching another woman wasn’t nearly as foreign as she thought it might be and a slow smile spread across her face when she heard JR moan in pleasure as her fingers brushed across sensitive nipples.

///  

The bodyguard was up early the next morning despite a long night with Petra. She was pretty sure they had tasted, touched and massaged every bit of each other’s bodies until they both fell into an exhausted sleep. Petra may not have been experienced with women, but she definitely wasn’t afraid to learn.

Already having showered, JR walked quietly around her bedroom getting dressed while Petra was still asleep in her bed. She looked more peaceful than she had since JR met her and a heavy wave of guilt washed over her.

“What were you thinking, Jane?” she whispered to herself as she sat on the edge of the bed to slip her socks on. It was never a good idea to get involved with a client.

“Good morning,” came the soft greeting.

JR turned around to see a sleepy Petra smiling at her. “Good morning,” she returned.

“You’re already dressed?” Petra asked as she sat up in bed, keeping herself covered with the sheet. “You should have woken me.”

“You’ve got a lot going on this afternoon. I just figured you could use the extra rest,” JR said even though the truth was she was giving herself time to think.

Petra smiled. “So, I enjoyed last night.” She leaned against the headboard. “That was one way to get me to relax,” she said playfully.

JR glanced at her and moved to the dresser. “Yeah…I had fun.”

Petra noticed that JR seemed a little distant. “Is something wrong?” she asked. She could feel the worry building in her gut.

“Everything is fine,” JR responded with a thin smile as she turned around to face her. “We’d better get going if you want to make it to your meeting on time.”

Petra watched her for a moment. “Look, if last night was that bad then just say so,” she said only half joking. She was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“No…it’s not that…I…” JR was trying to find a delicate way to put it. “I just think that last night should be…a one-time thing.”

Although Petra had used and been used a lot in her life, she would have never expected such behavior from JR. She felt foolish. If her mother had been around, she would have berated her for letting her guard down.

“Its fine,” Petra finally said with a shrug, refusing to show any weakness. “It’s not the first time someone has used me for sex. It probably won’t be the last.” She stood from the bed with the sheet still wrapped around her and began gathering her clothes.

“Petra, no! That’s not what this was…” JR tried to explain. She knew how the situation looked, but she was disturbed at the thought of Petra thinking she would use her in that way.

“Then what was it?!” Petra yelled, some of her anger finally seeping through the cracks. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m not a child and I’ve been here before.”

JR felt awful for hurting her and foolish for allowing the situation to get so out of hand. “I can’t protect you like this…I can’t be your bodyguard and…”

“And what…fuck me?” Petra asked harshly. “Well, too late.”

JR could only watch as Petra made her way to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

JR and her team had been walking on egg shells for weeks, but somehow Krishna still managed to get the brunt of Petra’s wrath.

“Krishna, how can you call yourself an assistant if you don’t actually assist me? I’ve already given you two days off in two weeks and now you need a third?” Petra asked harshly.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Solano, but it’s a family emergency,” Krishna tried to explain as she hung her head.

Petra sighed. “This is the last time, Krishna. If you can’t be there when I need you then I can always find someone else.”

JR watched as Krishna cowered at her desk on the verge of tears and followed Petra into her office.

“That was a little harsh, don’t you think?” she asked, standing in front of Petra’s desk.

Petra rolled her eyes. “I pay you to keep me and my children safe, not to criticize how I handle my employees.”

“Look, Petra, I’m the one you’re angry with so why don’t you take it out on me instead of tormenting everyone else around you,” JR said, losing her patience.

“You know, you’re probably right,” Petra said as she looked directly at the bodyguard. “It’s been weeks and we haven’t heard a peep. I’m beginning to think that I don’t actually need your services any longer. At this point, I’m just paying you to stand around…and breathe down my neck apparently,” the hotelier said as she focused her attention on her laptop again.

JR sighed and rubbed her face. “In my _professional_ opinion,” she began calmly, “you should give it another week…tops. It’s possible that whoever’s doing this has just been re-strategizing. Security at the Marbella has been beefed up significantly. They would have to think of new and clever ways to get to you if that’s their goal.”

Petra sighed. “Fine. One more week. Then we’ll never have to see each other again.”

///

A couple of nights later, JR sat at the end of the bar at the neighboring Fairwick hotel, forced to listen as Petra flirted with a man a few feet away who didn’t even remotely look like he was Petra’s type with his jeans, cowboy boots and flannel shirt. She was pretty sure she had heard him say that his name was Chuck. After insisting on having a drink at the sleazy looking hotel, JR had no choice but to escort her client, no matter how bad an idea she thought it was.

Aside from the fact that Petra was clearly trying to make her jealous, JR didn’t like it. She wasn’t familiar with the grounds or the layout, and the safety provisions that had been put into place at the Marbella were nonexistent here.

Rolling her eyes as Petra laughed at a bad joke, JR finished the last of her ginger ale. She would’ve rather it been a scotch.

Checking the time on her phone, it was nearly eleven at night and she was getting tired. Sleep was hard to come by when she knew she was responsible for the mess this situation had become.

A few minutes later, JR saw Chuck whispering in Petra’s ear before taking her by the hand and leading her toward the elevators. She immediately moved to follow.

“Petra, can I have a word with you, please?” JR said tersely before they could get too far.

Petra rolled her eyes and followed the bodyguard a short distance away.

“This isn’t a good idea,” JR began, trying to stay calm. “We have absolutely no background on this guy, so for all we know, he could be the one stalking you…” JR’s rant was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing.

“Do you honestly expect me to wait until you run a background check on every new person I decide to spend time with?” Petra asked incredulously. She watched impatiently as JR answered her phone, but her demeanor changed when she saw the look of fear fall across JR’s face. “What is it?” Petra asked.

“Darlin’, are we gonna do this or not?” Chuck asked impatiently from where he waited by the elevator.

Both women ignored him.

“I’ll be there just as soon as I can,” JR said before ending the call.

“What?” Petra asked again. “Are the girls okay?!”

“It’s my mother. I have to go,” JR said, taking a deep breath. “Listen, I know you hate me right now, but I am begging you to come with me,” JR said, looking directly at Petra. She needed to go to her mother, but she couldn’t very well leave her client alone and it was too late to call Brian or Lena, who were settled in with the girls for the night.

Seeing the fear in JR’s eyes, Petra quickly nodded as JR grabbed her hand and guided her to the parking lot, much to the disappointment of Chuck.

///

Standing by the doorway, Petra looked at the frail older woman who was finally asleep in her bed. She felt like she was intruding on a very private moment.

After JR received the call, they rushed to the nursing home where JR’s mom, Aida, had been confused and disoriented. It wasn’t until she saw JR that she calmed down, but she was still distraught and it was heartbreaking to witness as JR tried to comfort her mother.

“We’ve given her a sedative to help her relax,” the older nurse had explained before leaving the room.

JR sat next to her mother’s bed, holding her hand.

“Are you okay?” Petra asked softly. She had quickly come to associate strength with JR, but in this moment, she looked completely defeated.

JR took a moment to respond. “I’m not sure if it was the right thing…putting her here. I tried to get her in to see a specialist, but the top doctor in Miami isn’t taking any new patients,” she explained. She felt completely helpless and she could only watch as her mother’s condition deteriorated. “I’ll be fine though,” she said with a deep breath as she stood from her mother’s bed side.

Petra watched as she kissed Aida’s forehead before turning around to face her.

“I should probably get you home,” JR said. “I’m sorry I had to drag you here with me.”

“It’s okay,” Petra said, suddenly feeling foolish for the way she had been treating JR and everyone else. With one last glance at Aida, she followed JR from the room.

///

By the time they arrived back at the Marbella, it was nearly three in the morning. Petra immediately went to look in on the girls, while JR spoke with Brian and Lena before relieving them.

By the time Petra had finished checking on Anna and Ellie, she found JR in her bedroom, checking the doors and windows like she did every night.

“Are the girls okay?” JR asked quietly.

“They’re fine. Ellie woke up for a few minutes, but I managed to get her back to sleep,” Petra explained as she watched JR closely. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t even know where to begin.

“So, listen,” JR began. “I think you were right. It’s probably time for me and my team to move on.”

Petra’s face fell.

“The cameras we had installed have helped a lot, but if you’re still concerned, there are a few security companies I can recommend,” JR said.  

Petra quickly schooled her features. “It’s probably for the best,” she said.

JR gave a thin smile before leaving the room and Petra’s face fell once again.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, JR sat quietly with a cup of coffee, watching as the girls played while Petra texted away on her phone. Neither had spoken much after last night’s events.

JR had always been the type of person who liked to see a job through until the end, but things with Petra had gotten complicated and it was difficult to stay focused when a client as headstrong as Petra was hostile toward you.

“The nannies can’t make it today,” Petra said, pulling JR from her thoughts as she stood from the sofa. “We’ll have to get the girls to school before my meeting, but first we need to go down and have breakfast.”

JR nodded. “I’ll have Lena and Brian meet us down there.”

///

A short while later, the group was seated in the dining area having breakfast.

“Hurry up, girls, or we’ll be late,” Petra said as she took a bite of her melon.

JR watched as the twins whispered and giggled to each other.

“I have to go to the restroom, mommy,” Anna said a few minutes later.

“Me, too,” Ellie said.

Petra’s phone buzzed just then and she sighed as she read the message. “I need to speak to Krishna before we leave.”

“Lena and Brian can take the girls to the restroom and I’ll go with you,” JR said. Petra agreed and each group went their separate way.

///

“Ms. Solano, there’s a vendor on the line who says there’s a problem with the Marbella’s wine order for next month,” Krishna explained as she held the phone.

“Just great,” Petra said as she took the phone from her assistant. “We’re booked solid for next month with over a dozen events planned. We don’t have time to find a new vendor on such short notice.”

JR observed quietly as Petra dealt with the crisis, expecting anger and threats, but she couldn’t help the smirk that came to her face as she listened to the hotelier calmly, but firmly, negotiate a different wine selection at a deeply discounted price. There was no denying that Petra was good at her job.

“There,” the hotelier said as she gave the phone back to Krishna. “Problem solved. I should give myself a raise.” She sighed as she stood with her hands on her hips. Petra looked over at her bodyguard to see the smirk on her face. “What?” she asked a little self-consciously.

“Nothing,” JR shrugged. “That was impressive. You sure you weren’t a lawyer in a past life?” she joked.

Petra couldn’t help the small smile that came to her lips. JR’s phone rang just then and she watched as the bodyguard answered.

_“We’ve got a code red on Heckle & Jeckle,_” came Brian’s voice urgently.

“What happened?” JR said firmly as she glanced at Petra.

“Is it your mother?” Petra asked as she stepped closer, genuinely concerned.

“Alert hotel security, then start a sweep and keep me posted. They couldn’t have gone that far.” JR quickly ended the call pulled Petra into her office.

“What’s wrong?” Petra asked, growing more concerned.

“My team lost track of the twins,” JR said, getting straight to the point. Over the years, she had learned that trying to soften the blow of bad news usually only resulted in more frustration from her clients.

“What?! What happened?” Petra said as she immediately tried to leave. JR held her by the shoulders.  

“Brian and Lena are looking for them now, but they couldn’t have gotten far. Is there any place special they like to go?” she asked.

Petra thought for a few seconds as she paced. “The kid’s club on the beach! They like to use the pirate ship as a hideout.”

JR speed dialed Brian and passed the message along.

“I thought your people knew what they were doing?! How in the hell did they lose them?” Petra yelled in fear and anger.

JR sighed and led Petra from the office. “I don’t know, but you can be damn sure I’ll find out,” she said as they made their way to the lobby.

///

“What the hell happened?” JR said as she approached Lena who looked guilty.

“The twins were taking too long in the bathroom. I went in to check on them and they were gone. They must have slipped out of the second entrance,” Lena explained.

“You should have gone in with them!” JR said to Lena who looked thoroughly reprimanded. “Stay here and ask around. Someone had to have seen them. I’ll catch up with Brian,” the bodyguard instructed as she hurried out to the beach followed closely by Petra. Her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings as they approached the kid’s club area when suddenly she saw the two little girls bounding toward her.

“Mommy!” Ellie called as they ran to their mother.

“Girls! Oh my god…”Petra said in relief as she kneeled down and squeezed her daughters close. “What happened?”

“The man was there, mommy!” Anna said.

“The man from school,” Ellie clarified.

“Where?” JR intervened from where she stood protectively over the small family.

“By the pirate ship!” the girls said in unison, pointing to the structure. “He took our picture!”

JR hated to leave them alone, but her team was scattered and if there was a chance to stop this guy and put an end to all of this, she needed to take it. “Stay here!” she said firmly to Petra, who nodded.

“Girls, what happened? Why did you run off like that?” Petra questioned sternly.

“We’re sorry, mommy. We just thought it would be fun to play hide and seek with Brian and Lena,” Ellie explained.

“Please don’t be mad,” Anna added with a frown.

Petra gave a deep sigh of relief and pulled her daughters in tight.

///

As JR approached the playground, she saw Brian and went to him. “Petra and the girls are down the beach a short ways,” she said. Brian nodded and ran off to find them.

As she looked around the playground, there were only a few children running around with their parents standing nearby. Pammy the Parrot was also wandering around and playing with the children. She quickly pulled up the police sketch on her phone and began questioning people.

“Have you seen this man today?” she asked. Most shook their heads no. She even asked Pammy who shrugged. Just as she was about to give up, she approached a few people who were walking up the beach.

“Have you seen this man?” she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“Yeah, actually,” one of the young women said. “We passed him about five minutes ago. He was headed in the direction of the Marbella.”

“Can you describe him at all?” JR asked, desperate to find this guy already. “What did his clothes look like…his hair…his face?”

“He had on a green polo and khakis,” another young woman said.

JR dialed Brian and ran back to where she had left Petra and the girls.

///

“Did you see him?” JR asked.

“Nothing,” Brian said as he continued to scan his surroundings.

JR cursed under her breath. She wanted to keep looking, but her priority was Petra and the girls’ safety. “Okay, let’s get them back inside. Call hotel security and give them the updated description with orders to let us know immediately if they find him.”

The group quickly made their way back to the Marbella where they met and briefed Lena. As the elevators opened up to the twelfth floor, JR stepped out first to secure the hallway. Just as she was about to give the all clear, she noticed a shadow being cast from someone around the corner. Silently, she gestured for the group to remain quiet and pushed the button for the first floor.

As the doors began to close, JR saw Petra’s eyes widen in fear as she drew her weapon.

“Let’s get inside,” she said to the empty hallway in an attempt to draw the person out. Fortunately, it worked and she quickly aimed her weapon as the man stepped out with his camera aimed and ready to take a picture.

“Don’t you dare move,” JR ordered, her voice firm. She quickly called for backup before apprehending him.

///

Stepping away from the interrogation window, JR rubbed her face and made her way to the room where Petra was waiting. Brian, Lena and the twins had gone to Rafael’s hours ago. Petra felt that they needed a change of scenery after the day’s events.

After discovering that the twins thought it would be fun to outsmart their bodyguards, Petra had given them a very firm reprimand. JR had a similar conversation with her team. It wasn’t the first time they had guarded children, but the twins made them look like amateurs.

Petra was already angry with her. The last thing she needed was a client thinking that she and her team were inept.   

“Is he the one whose been threatening me? Did he confess?” Petra asked as she stood to face JR.

JR sighed. “I don’t think he is.”

“You don’t think?”

“His name is Dale Marks and he’s a store clerk. He confessed to taking the photos, but he said someone paid him anonymously to do it,” JR explained.

“After all of this, the bastard is still out there?” Petra said angry.

JR moved closer and placed her hands on Petra’s arms. “We’ll catch him,” she said, trying to assure her. “The police are still questioning him and searching his home. They might just get another clue out of him that could give us exactly what we need to catch whoever is doing this.”

Petra shook her head in defeat. “I just want to get out of here.” She didn’t feel like going back to the Marbella, but short of renting a room at another hotel, she didn’t have much choice.

///

After a quiet drive, Petra’s eyes opened when she felt the car come to a stop. She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep. “We’re here already?” she asked, blinking tiredly before realizing that they weren’t at the Marbella.

“I just thought maybe you needed to be somewhere aside from the hotel tonight after everything that happened,” JR rushed to explain, afraid that Petra might be offended.

Petra realized they were in the parking lot for JR’s building and turned to look at her.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” JR said nervously as she moved to start the car again. She froze when Petra reached out to stop her.

“Thank you,” she said with a soft smile.

JR returned the smile before getting out and leading Petra inside.

///

“You can take the bed and I’ll take the couch,” JR said a while later. She could tell that the day was taking its toll.

Petra nodded from her spot on the couch and JR moved to join her, forcing herself not to stare too long at the way Petra looked in her borrowed sweat pants and t-shirt, her face free of makeup. She looked so much younger and not nearly as intimidating as the same Petra Solano who ruled the Marbella with an iron fist.

“Jane?”

JR looked over at the sleepy woman.

“I don’t hate you,” Petra said. “The other night at the Fairwick…I _don’t_ hate you. I was just…”

“Hurt?” JR offered softly.

Petra nodded.

“I’m sorry,” JR whispered. “I _never_ meant to make you feel that way. It’s just…I’ve made the mistake of caring too much for a client before and it didn’t end well.”

Petra was suddenly wide awake. “Please, don’t tell me she died.”

JR couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. “No, nothing as bad as that,” she reassured. “It was when I was still practicing law, actually. I made the mistake of falling for my client and I was so distracted by my feelings for her that I didn’t realize she had been lying to me the entire time,” JR explained. “I told myself that I wasn’t going to let it happen again.”  

Petra listened quietly.

“Petra, if something happened to you or the twins because I wasn’t focused, especially after what happened today…”

“What happened today wasn’t because you weren’t focused,” Petra interrupted. “It happened because some lunatic is harassing me.”

JR knew it was true, but she was still uncertain. “It could still be dangerous,” she said softly.

“Then we can take things slowly,” Petra said just as softly as she moved a little closer, her heart racing.

JR placed her hand on Petra’s face and leaned in to kiss her. She still wasn’t sure she was making the right decision, but she felt a pull toward Petra that she couldn’t explain.

“Slow,” she repeated after pulling away and resting her forehead against Petra’s. “…and no games.”

Petra nodded. “Understood.”

JR smirked at the adoration in her large blue eyes, pretty sure that Petra could see the same adoration in hers.


	7. Chapter 7

Petra stared tiredly at the computer screen, her mind far from work. Monday had arrived much too quickly and she drug herself to the Marbella with the promise of an extended vacation for her and her daughters, very soon.

She looked up from her desk when she heard a knock on her office door. “Enter!” she yelled, expecting it to be Krishna. A smile graced her face when she saw that it was JR. “I didn’t expect to see you until lunch,” she said, looking at the clock.

“I actually just received some news,” JR said as she shut the office door.

Petra stood from her desk and moved to join JR on the small sofa. They were taking things slowly, but she still took every opportunity she could to be close to her. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“I just got a call about getting my mother in to see that specialist I told you about,” JR said with a knowing look.

Petra looked away shyly. “Oh, well that’s great news…right?” she asked, hoping she hadn’t overstepped. Being a prominent figure in the Miami business world definitely had its perks and she had called in a favor.

JR moved a little closer and took Petra’s hand. “Thank you,” she said softly, sincerely. “It’s hard not to worry about her, but at least now I’ll know that my mom is getting the best care she possibly can.”

Petra squeezed JR’s hand. “I’m just glad I could help,” she said, smiling softly as she played with JR’s fingers. Her mind wandered to the time they spent in JR’s apartment and she wished they were still there. They cuddled and talked and simply enjoyed the short opportunity to be alone together in their newfound relationship.

“You’re really a very sweet person, Petra Solano,” JR said with that knowing look in her eye.

Petra huffed. “I very much doubt that anyone who knows me best would agree with you,” she said. She was sure other Jane and Rafael would have a good laugh at that.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. I’ve experienced it first hand,” JR said playfully as she pulled Petra in for a kiss.

“Well, unfortunately, you’ve also experienced the not so sweet side of me,” Petra said after a few minutes.

“You’re human, Petra,” JR said with shrug. “Besides, my behavior wasn’t exactly stellar either. Sometimes, life seems to have a way of burying the best parts of a person.”

Petra certainly couldn’t deny that. She remembered being young and in love with Milos all those years ago in the Czech Republic. Things were so much simpler back then compared to what her life had become…before her mother’s lies and deceit…before her own. But even still, she didn’t think she would change anything if it meant not having her girls and, now, JR. There was something about the woman that reminded her of the best parts of herself, the parts that had been hidden for a very long time.

“Why don’t we have lunch in my suite?” she suggested softly before kissing JR once more. “I’m still tired after everything that’s happened. I just want to relax for a while.”

JR enjoyed the feel of Petra’s lips and tongue against her own for a few minutes before responding. “Sounds good,” she agreed, a little out of breath.

///

“Pretty sure this doesn’t constitute taking things slowly…or relaxing,” JR said between kisses. She held on to Petra’s hips as the woman kissed her again, deeper this time.

Lunch sat untouched on the room service tray by the door and they hadn’t stopped making out since the bellboy left.

“I disagree,” Petra said from her place astride JR’s lap on the couch. “This is very relaxing.” She smiled devilishly and pulled at JR’s bottom lip with her teeth before sliding her tongue past full lips. She began pushing the blazer from JR’s shoulders.

JR’s hands slid down from Petra’s hips and squeezed and she grinned as the woman moaned into her mouth. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom,” JR suggested although neither of them made a move to do so. Her fingers slid into the hem of the short shorts Petra was wearing, softly caressing the warmth she found there.

Petra’s hips began to move against JR’s fingers, seeking more contact. “Don’t tease,” she breathed, her eyelids heavy. Just as JR’s hands moved to undo the button of Petra’s shorts, the hotelier’s phone rang. 

Petra groaned in frustration as she buried her face in JR’s neck. “This had better be good.” She removed herself from JR’s lap and stood to grab her phone from the coffee table. “It’s Krishna,” she sighed heavily.

Standing from the couch, JR gave Petra one more heated kiss and slapped her on the butt playfully. “Be nice,” she said with a raised eyebrow, before make her way to the bathroom.

Petra bit her bottom lip and smirked as she watched JR walk away.

///

It had been nearly two weeks since the incident with the twins and things had gone quiet again. Dale Marks had been useless in the end and he was currently sitting in jail waiting for an arraignment.

JR wouldn’t dare let on to Petra, but she was starting to get antsy. Whoever was doing this was patient and she could only imagine that they were biding their time until the perfect opportunity presented itself. She and Petra were currently in West Palm Beach preparing for the ground breaking ceremony for the new Marbella location and it was beginning to look more and more like a perfect storm to JR.

The event was a big enough deal that press would be there. Normally, it would be the kind of milestone Petra would want to share with family and friends, especially Anna & Ellie, considering this business would be theirs one day, but she wasn’t taking any chances. The girls were back in Miami with their father as well as Brian and Lena, leaving JR alone to guard Petra.

When Petra had first hired JR to be her bodyguard, she distanced herself from all of the work and changes that had taken place in her home and at the Marbella, preferring to pretend that her life wasn’t drastically changing. Ever since they had arrived in Palm Beach, JR had been hyper focused…closed off even. Petra was finally witnessing her in her element.

On the first day they arrived, Petra and JR met with the event coordinators and JR had nearly had a fit when she learned how understaffed the event security was, insisting that at least five more people be hired.

“They’ve had knowledge about the sensitivity of the situation for nearly two weeks now, which is more than enough time to have hired more security,” JR said as she led Petra through the lobby of the hotel they were staying in. “If I had known I’d be dealing with this level of incompetence, I’d have hired my own people by now.”

“Babe, you have to calm down,” Petra said once they were secluded on the elevator. The role reversal was not lost on her.

JR gave a humorless laugh as she stared at the doors. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of calming down. It feels like we’re going into this thing blind and it doesn’t help that this is taking place outdoors, leaving us even more exposed.” She had gotten used to the extra security at the Marbella and the fact the Petra worked in the same place she lived made things much simpler to deal with.

A few moments later, they had reached their floor and JR stepped off of the elevator first to guide Petra to their room.

“Should I be worried?” Petra asked once they were inside.

JR turned around to face her from where she had been checking the balcony doors. “What…no,” she said, slightly caught off guard. She berated herself for the look of concern on Petra’s face. “I’m sorry,” she said as she moved to stand closer. “I’m just used to working with my own team on these things. Brian and Lena are like two extra sets of eyes and ears and it’s just a little frustrating without them,” she explained, rubbing Petra’s shoulders.

“And you’re sure that’s all it is? Because I don’t want you to hold anything back for my sake,” Petra said. “If you think he’s going to try something at the ceremony tomorrow then tell me.”

JR sighed as she looked at Petra. It had always been her motto to be as upfront with her clients as possible and it couldn’t be any different with Petra. “I won’t lie to you,” she began. “It’s very possibly that whoever is responsible for this could attempt something. The security obstacles they would have faced at the Marbella don’t exist here,” JR said. “But I’ll be meeting with security and the event coordinators again in the morning before everything starts and I’ll be right by your side the whole time.”

Petra nodded. “You know, I feel more angry than afraid. If this bastard is going to do something then I wish he’d get it over with already.”

JR smirked. Petra was a fearless woman and it was just one of the things she liked about her. “Listen, why don’t you call and check in with the girls while I call my team.”

“Good idea,” Petra said as she pulled out her phone. “The girls were really upset when they found out they wouldn’t be coming. I promised they could help pick our next vacation.”

It bothered Petra more than she let on that her girls couldn’t be there. Anna & Ellie were naturals when it came to helping out with the hotel and she was glad that they seemed to genuinely enjoy it, considering it would be their legacy. She wanted her girls to grow up to be strong and independent. Her own mother had taught her to use her body to get what she wanted and needed and she would be damned if she passed on that example to her daughters. Even though Petra knew she had done many questionable things to get to where she was in her life, she would do it all over again as long as it meant she could spare her daughters from ever having to do the same. She hated that some creep had ruined the opportunity for her to share this moment with her children.

“You okay?” JR asked, noticing that Petra had gone quiet.

Petra walked over to JR and placed her hand on her face before giving her a kiss. “Thank you for taking such good care of me and my girls,” she said softly.

///

Looking every bit the stoic bodyguard, JR scanned her surroundings while Petra stood close by, charming the pants off of investors and the press. The new expansion would create hundreds of jobs for people in the area and local officials were taking every opportunity to highlight the situation to make themselves look good.

The lack of security had been taken care of and JR had familiarized herself with the quickest exists should the need to use them arise.  Considering the Marbella was a family establishment, children were welcome at the ceremony, too. There were several running around near the back of the crowd, oblivious to the rest of the world as they played and took pictures with Pammy the Parrot and Swashbuckling’ John who were on loan from the Marbella in Miami.

“Ready?” JR said quietly once Petra finally approached her.

Petra nodded and turned to make her way to the makeshift area where the ceremony would take place.

“Hey, Pete,” JR called softly, waiting until Petra was facing her again. “In case I didn’t tell you already, you look beautiful today.”

Petra smiled at her bodyguard adoringly, not realizing how much she needed the boost. With a deep breath, she made her way to the ceremony and waited for the emcee to introduce her.

JR continued to watch the crowd, looking for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. She quickly looked at each of the designated exits, making sure security was doing their job.

A few moments later, all eyes were on Petra as she addressed the audience and JR was fully alert. Her eyes flew to a man in the front row who quickly brought his hand up to cover a cough. Somewhere in the center of the crowd a few people swatted at an insect. The children who had been playing a few minutes ago had been shushed by their parents while Pammy the Parrot made his way closer to the stage. Swashbuckling John stayed near the back with some of the children.

Petra had practiced her speech nearly five times last night so JR knew that it was almost over. Pammy the Parrot begin to flap his wings, much to the delight of some of the children, and as Petra finished her speech, the crowd clapped and cheered. JR continued to watch as Pammy waved his arms around. The giant parrot moved one hand to the top his large blue hat and pulled something out. It glinted in the sunlight.

“Petra, get down!” JR yelled as she drew her weapon and ran closer. Pammy aimed the gun and fired it at Petra as JR tackled her to the ground and chaos erupted around them.

“JR!” Petra yelled. The wind had been knocked out of her and she could feel all of JR’s weight on top of her.

“She’s bleeding! Somebody call 911!” one of the security guards yelled.

“It’s not me! It’s not my blood!” Petra yelled as she tried to move JR off of her.

JR could feel her vision blurring as she slowly lifted her arm and aimed her gun into the crowd. She pulled the trigger and watched as Pammy fell to the ground amidst the screams of the crowd.

The bodyguard could feel her breath becoming labored as she was carefully rolled onto her back. She looked up to see Petra hovering above her.

“JR, stay with me, okay?” Petra said, her eyes filling with tears.

JR tried to focus, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open. “Petra…”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Thanks for reading!

“I can’t believe Pammy the Parrot was the one doing this,” Rafael said as he sat next to Petra on the sofa in her suite. “Do you know how many times he’s been around our kids and we’ve just…trusted him?”

It had been a week since the shooting in Palm Beach and Pammy the Parrot, aka Danny Clark, was dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. Interviews with the Marbella staff revealed that he disliked Petra and the way she treated everyone, but no one ever suspected that he would take things so far.

“Why don’t you use his real name?” other Jane said from the kitchen where she was preparing a snack for them.

“I had no idea what his real name was, which is apparently why he chose to terrorize me and my children,” Petra said. “I put Krishna in charge of hiring the mascots for the Marbella and she would have told me if there were any discrepancies on his background report. We couldn’t have known.”

“Maybe you should rethink the idea of ruling through fear,” other Jane suggested.

Petra shot her a look.

“I’m just glad he didn’t get the chance to hurt anyone,” Rafael said, thinking of his family.

Petra gave him a cold look. “JR got hurt.” Her bodyguard had been shot in the shoulder and the bullet nicked an artery, which caused her to lose a lot of blood quickly. Surgery was needed to stop the bleeding and Petra remembered being completely shaken as she waited for JR at the hospital in Palm Beach, alone, with JR’s blood staining her clothes. Eventually, she had composed herself enough to call and let her family and friends in Miami know what happened.

Rafael looked at her with wide eyes. “Of course!” he said correcting himself quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

“Well, thank God for JR,” other Jane said with an exaggerated sigh of relief as she joined Rafael and Petra in the living room. She hated that anyone got hurt, but she was also glad that JR was good at her job. She and Petra didn’t always get along, but she still loved her like family.

“And how about this,” other Jane continued as she picked up the Palm Beach newspaper Petra had brought back with her. There was an article about the ceremony and the shooting, but the writer chose to speculate about Petra’s personal life. “Can you believe they would capitalize on such a terrible situation to try and turn it into sleazy gossip?” she asked, referring to the picture of Petra standing close to JR, smiling. As other Jane continued to study the photo, she realized that it did look a little peculiar.

Petra rolled her eyes as she watched other Jane staring at the photo. “It’s not sleaze,” she said.

Other Jane looked up from the newspaper surprised. “You mean…”

Petra debated whether or not to tell Rafael and other Jane about her and JR, but she figured they’d find out eventually anyway. “JR and I are…something,” she said curtly, not sure exactly how to define what they were. They never had much of a chance to discuss it.

“Wow,” Rafael said surprised. “So does this mean you’re into women now?”

“Okay, enough! I’m not talking to you two about this,” Petra said as she stood from the sofa and snatched the newspaper from other Jane before folding it. “I’m going to see JR.”

Other Jane could barely contain her excitement, but decided to mind her own business for the time being. “Give her our best!” she said, as Petra grabbed her things and left. She turned to Rafael who looked equally giddy. “I have so many questions!”

///

JR was lying on the couch, watching television and listening to the sounds of Petra moving around in her apartment. She couldn’t help the lazy smile that spread across her face. The woman had barely left her side since the shooting and JR had to admit that having her there felt right. It had been a long time since she let anyone in and it felt good. Petra had even brought the girls to visit her one afternoon and JR was surprised at herself, becoming emotional when the girls hugged her and thanked her for protecting their mommy.

Slowly, she sat up with a grimace when Petra entered with lunch. “Thank you,” she said as Petra sat the food on the table and joined her on the couch. Her left arm was in a sling and would be for at least a couple of months.

“Do you need a pain pill?” Petra asked with concerned eyes.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little sore,” she told her. “Guess I’m going to be out of commission for a while.”

Petra watched her for a moment, wondering if she should admit that she was kind of glad about that. “You have no idea how happy I am that you’re okay,” she chose to say instead. “There was so much blood…”

“Baby, I promise, I’m fine,” JR reassured. She grabbed Petra’s hand and gently pulled her closer for a soft kiss.

“I know. It’s just a part of the job,” Petra said, trying to reason with herself as she played with JR’s fingers.

“It _is_ a part of the job,” JR agreed. “I have to be prepared to protect my clients with my life if necessary.” Petra nodded, looking away. “But Petra, I care about you as more than just a client,” she told her.

“You do?” Petra asked, looking at JR with doe eyes.

“Yes,” JR said with a smile, as if it should have been obvious to Petra by now. “I would risk my life to protect you and the twins even if you weren’t my client,” she said. “I never expected to feel this way about you…but here we are…”

Petra watched her intently.

“…and I’m in love with you,” JR confessed.

“You are?” Petra asked.

JR grinned. She couldn’t tell if Petra was shocked, nervous or maybe a little of both. “Yes…but if you’re not there yet…”

“I love you, too,” Petra said in a rush, cutting JR off. “And it’s really scary because it’s _so_ fast, but I’ve never felt about _anyone_ the way I feel when I’m with you…and I think I just quoted _Dirty Dancing_ ,” she laughed, happy and scared all at the same time.

“Well,” JR began as she leaned in close and brushed her nose against Petra’s, “good thing we both happen to _love_ _Dirty Dancing_.”

Petra didn’t think she would ever get enough of JR’s kisses and she became lost in the sensation before remembering that the woman was injured.

“We can’t,” Petra said breathlessly as she tilted her head to the side to allow JR’s lips to trail down her neck.

“Why not?” JR asked. She flicked her tongue against a patch of soft skin that she knew drove Petra crazy and smiled victoriously at the moan she let lose.

“Because you’re injured and you only just got out of the hospital a week ago,” Petra argued.

“I told you, I’m fine,” JR said. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I can take care of you with one hand,” she teased, squeezing dangerously high on Petra’s thigh. “Might not even need a hand at all.”

Petra laughed and buried her face in JR’s neck. “I have an idea,” she said once she composed herself.

JR watched her fondly and waited for her to continue.

“I want to tell the girls about us, but I think maybe we should all spend some time together first,” Petra explained. “I want you to come with us when we go on vacation. I think we could all use a break after everything that’s happened.”

JR smiled. “I think that sounds great. Besides, what else am I going to do with this arm in a sling?”

Petra returned her smile and leaned in for another kiss. “I love you,” she whispered, “and I’m _so_ glad I found you.”


End file.
